Robb sails to maiden win in wet Taupo opener

Race 1 Taupo (940 x 450)

Hunter Robb took his first win in the Toyota 86 Championship in a soaking wet season opener that finished under the Safety Car.

The Action Motorsport rookie converted a front row start into a lead at the end of the first turn, a lead he held until the fifth lap when the Safety Car came out after Tim Leach made contact with Cormac Murphy and left the two stranded on the edge of the first turn.

A compact but enthusiastic crowd were just warming up to the prospect of a thrilling second half to the race after pole position holder Tom Bewley found his stride after getting bogged down at the start. An epic battle for the win was on the cards but it was not to be. They stayed in that order with William Exton taking the final place on the podium.

Robb, who has finished fourth, third, second and first in the last four Toyota 86 races he has taken part in, was disappointed the race ended the way it did.

“I have to thank the boys at Action Motorsport for getting me into that position with the car. Tom was fast though and we’ll have to do a bit of a tune up overnight before the next two races,” said Robb afterwards.

“It’s great to win but to be honest after being really nervous before the start, I was really looking forward to battling with Tom. I wasn’t sure we had the pace to win on the road if the race had gone the distance but never mind, a win is a win and bring on tomorrow.”

Conditions were treacherous throughout but the field kept it remarkably clean through a congested first lap through a lot of standing water. There was plenty of action as drivers fought against very slippery conditions and poor visibility.

Rookie Jackson Rooney maintained his qualifying form with fourth place and Tayler Bryant was on the pace in fifth. Brooklyn Horan was very impressive in conditions he would have been familiar with from his off roading and rallying experiences and splashed his way to a comfortable sixth, holding off Justin Allen in the process.

Allen came home seventh with John Penny eighth, Hayden Bakkerus ninth and Harry Townshend in tenth. For Harry his great drive from twenty first on the grid will reward him with a pole position start on Sunday morning in the reverse top ten format Race 2.

Elsewhere Alice Buckley was top of the women in 11th just ahead of fellow Australian Lockie Bloxsom, who came through the field from 18th on the grid to 12th at a great rate.

Class honours went to Robb (Rookie) and Penny (Master).

 

Round 1 – Taupo International Motorsport Park – Race 1

1

69

Hunter Robb

Action Motorsport

2

4

Tom Bewley

Mackenzie Motorsport

3

42

William Exton

Race Lab Drivers Academy

4

30

Jackson Rooney

Race Lab Drivers Academy

5

75

Tayler Bryant

Action Motorsport

6

89

Brooklyn Horan

MacKenzie Motorsport

7

99

Justin Allen

Allen Racing Team

8

22

John Penny

Action Motorsport

9

20

Hayden Bakkerus

MacKenzie Motorsport

10

73

Harry Townshend

Bayswater Motorsport

11

3

Alice Buckley

Race Lab Drivers Academy

12

23

Lockie Bloxsom

iMac Race Engineering

13

55

Christina Orr-West

Dayle ITM Racing

14

8

Thomas Mallard

Crème Racing

15

11

William Morton

iMac Race Engineering

16

50

Ryan Denize

MacKenzie Motorsport

17

88

Noel Simpson

Action Motorsport

18

57

Saxon Sheehan

James Marshall Motorsport

19

87

Summer Rintoule

Action Motorsport

20

41

Alex Hawley

Action Motorsport

21

5

Breanna Morris

Dayle ITM Racing

DNF

81

Cormac Murphy

Race Lab Drivers Academy

DNF

7

Tim Leach

Winger Motorsport

DNS

12

Thomas Beesley

James Marshall Motorsport